Holder for mop pads



Jan. 3, 1967 T. B. BELSKY ETAL HOLDER FOR MOP PADS Filed June 19, 1964.ITIHITIHT Erz.

BY 7W #Ku ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,295,155 HLDER FOR MOP PADSTheodore B. llelslty, South Hadley, and Gloria B. Klart'eld, Holyoke,Mass., assignors to Ready, Inc., Holyolie, Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Filed .lune 19, 1964, Ser. No. 376,504 2 Claims. (Cl.15-147) This invention relates to a holder for mop pads and moreparticularly for pads constructed of loose cotton or textile materialsas cotton batting for example, and for pads of resilient cellularconstruction such as soft `sponge rubber.

An object of the invention is to provide a holder which may be quicklyapplied to mop pads of the above type by simple pressure as with theusers foot and without the need for movable parts requiring manualoperation for attachment. A related object is to provide a holder fromwhich such pads may be separated with equal ease for cleaning and re-usewith the holder.

Other specic objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdisclosure of an embodiment of the invention as shown by the attacheddrawings, in which,

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a front or rear side of the holder;

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the mounting of the pad on the holderby foot pressure;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view on an enlarged scale, of one end of theholder showing the needle-like prong gripping means before applying footpressure to attach a pad;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 showing the prongsinserted under pressure into the body of the pad material;

FIG. 5 is an end view similar to FIG. 3 with the pad in section to showthe prongs embedded in the upper portion thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the holder.

The mop holder shown by the drawings is designed for use with a pad fordry or wet pad usage and as a general household utility mop as for oor,wall, or ceiling use. The holder, as shown, may be of an elongatedrectangular shape as the flat base member, generally designated bynumeral 2, which is here formed by a thi-n board 4 of stiff wood orcomposition board material with a U-shaped ruber buffer 6 wrapped aroundthe edges of the piece 4 (see FIG. 4). The base and buffer may ifdesired be integrally formed as a single unit of stiff plastic, rubber,or the like.

At a central location on the upper surface of the base is fixed, as byscrews 9 (see FIG. 5), a handle mounting fixture generally designated bynumeral 8. On the fixture 8 are a pair of spaced straps 10 havingaxially aligned openings in which are pivoted the ends of a round wirehandle swivel hanger 12. The wire is angularly twisted as shown so thatthe center is crosswise of the ends. On the center section is pivotedthe rolled end 14 of a handle socket 16 in which the handle 18 isturned. This is a conventional type of handle swivel mounting formanipulating the mop in conventional fashion.

As shown by FIGS. l, 2 and 6 the undersurface of the base is preferablydivided into a plurality of spaced sections 20 containing wire prongelements to be later described in detail, and intermediate sections 22consisting of easily compressed material such as soft sponge rubber,cellulose or lplastic foam or the like. Sections 22 are alternatelyspaced between sections 20 along the length of the base within theboundary defined by buffer strip 6 (FIG. 6). In normal `condition thesponge or foam sections 22 provide a surface below the level of the tipends of the wire prongs of sections 20. When the holder alone is restingon a floor, sections 22 maintain the wire prong sections 20 elevatedabove the surface of the floor. This Patented Jan. 3, i967 protects thefloor from being scarred or the wires from unnecessary wear.

In FIG. 2 the attachment of mop pad to the holder by foot pressure isshown. The pad 24 is simply rested on a floor surface, the holder basebeing placed over the upper surface and pressure applied on top of theholder. As illustrated the user may simply stand with a foot on eachhalf of the base or the foot may be pressed first on top of one side andthen on top of the other. In either event foot pressure is sufficient tocompress sections 22 of the soft sponge or cellulose material so thatthe prong of sections 20 can pentrate the upper surface of a pad andreleasably grip the pad for use.

The mop pad 24 shown by FIGS. 2-5 is preferably of a constructionsimilar to that disclosed in Patent No. 2,853,730 dated September 30,1958, consisting of a batting material having a backing of thin sheetmaterial 25, as crinoline, secured to the top face of the batting tohold the loose carded fibres of the batting material together. Such apad is of the disposable type and is highly useful particularly for drymopping purposes. It is to be noted that a soft sponge rubber or plasticfoam pad of the same or similar cellular construction as sections 22 mayalso be used as a wet pad, the prongs lof sections 20 penetrating thematerial of 1a foam pad in a fashion similar to that now to be describedin connection with the dry pad 24.

In FIG. 3 the pad 24 is shown resting on a oor surface and the holderplaced on top ready for application of foot pressure. In this positionthe resilient sections 22 hold the wire prong sections slightly abovethe pad surface. The individual wire prongs 26 extending from a backing28, which is secured to the undersurface of the base, are in a freehanging condition. The prongs have sharply angle tip end portions withthe inner portions being angled slightly from the vertical. In eachsection 20 the wires are set in closely spaced rows (see also FIG. 6)and the wires in one half section as at 21 are angled in an oppositedirection to those in the other half as at 23.

In FIG. 4 with the base member being under full foot pressure, the wiresof the two half sections are shown as flexed and being deflected inopposite directions and in a manner indicating that the material of thepad at opposing sides will also be urged in opposite directions. The padis, of course, squeezed by foot pressure thus compacting and spreadingthe material. The angled wire ends entering the material thus will tendto follow the direction of the tips as the material is penetrated. Itmay also be noted that when the foot is placed on the top of the baseand pressed downwardly the foot can also be moved with a forward andbackward push so that the wires penetrate more deeply into the body ofthe pad material in the direction of the angled tips. In FIG. 5 afterfoot pressure is released, the wire prongs will then return insofar aspossible to the free hanging position of FIG. 3. After being embedded,however, in the upper section of the material of the pad the angled tipends will tend to hook into the material and retain the bite of theprongs on opposite sides. With a crinoline backing, as the backing 25,the prongs will particularly cling to the upper surface of the pad 24.Thus the pad will be held by the gripping wires suiliciently to clingagainst the undersurface of the holder for use of the assembled mop in aconventional manner. In use and particularly when used as a wet mop orfor waxing purposes the frictional rubbing action of the pad on thesurface assists in the gripping action of the prong ends. Being of loosefibrous construction, the pad may be removed from the holder merely bygrasping an edge of the pad and stripping or peeling it from the prongs.A pad of loose fibrous material or cellular sponge rubber constructionmay be so stripped without undue tearing of the material. Accordingly,the pad may be cleaned by shaking or rinsing and then replaced on theholder for reuse until it becomes worn out.

The wire prongs as seen from the sectional view of FIG. 4 are held by aresilient backing 28 which preferably comprises a relatively thickclosely Woven fabric or canvas type of material such as is commonly usedin card clothing for textile carding machinery. The wires are relativelystiff with sharpened tip ends being stapled in pairs and held by theresilient heavy fabric backing for desirable flexing action. The backing28 is suitably secured to the base as by an adhesive.

It will also be appreciated that in addition to an integral formation ofthe base member 2 as above mentioned, it is also contemplated that aunitary base member with sections of needle-like integrally moldedplastic prongs may be provided. Stily flexible prongs of this type willoperate to cling to a pad in the same manner as described. It shouldfurther be noted that the arrangement of spacer sections 22 betweenprong sections 20 may also be varied, and that so long as groups ofprongs are arranged with oppositely angled tip end portions alongopposite sides of the holder a pad of loose fibrous construction orcellular rubber or foam will be held thereby.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for mop pads and the like comprising a sti base member, aheavy backing of resilient material carried by said base member againstthe underside thereof and a plurality of spaced needle-like dependingwire prongs carried by said backing material, said backing materialbeing divided into at least three spaced sections at said underside ofthe base, the portions between said backing material carrying sectionsof readily compressible cellular sponge material adhesively securedthereto, the prongs at one side of said base being angularly bent withthe tip ends facing in one direction and the prongs at the other side ofthe base being similarly bent and facing in the opposite direction, saidsections of sponge material extending below the tips of said prongs.

2. A holder for mop pads of loose fibrous construction and the likecomprising a stiff base member of rectangular shape and at the undersidethereof a series of spaced transversely disposed sections having a heavybacking of resilient material mounted thereagainst, a plurality ofclosely spaced rows of depending wire prongs carried by said backingmaterial, the prongs at one side of the base being angularly turned andthe lower ends facing in one direction, the prongs at the other side ofthe base being similarly angularly turned with lower ends facing in theopposite direction, and sections of readily compressible sponge rubberbeing mounted between said spaced prong sections against said undersideof the base, the lower surface of said sponge rubber sections lyingbelow the plane of the lower ends of said prongs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,955,311 10/1960Jurkanis 15-244 X 3,124,894 3/1964 Via et al. 3,134,152 5/1964 Pei 24-87FOREIGN PATENTS 711,452 6/1931 France. 43,112 France. 66,304 12/ 1 892Germany. 34, 845 10/ 1905 Switzerland. 96,634 11/ 1922 Switzerland.145,930 6/1931 Switzerland.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

1. A HOLDER FOR MOP PADS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A STIFF BASE MEMBER, AHEAVY BACKING OF RESILIENT MATERIAL CARRIED BY SAID BASE MEMBER AGAINSTTHE UNDERSIDE THEREOF AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED NEEDLE-LIKE DEPENDINGWIRE PRONGS CARRIED BY SAID BACKING MATERIAL, SAID BACKING MATERIALBEING DIVIDED INTO AT LEAST THREE SPACED SECTIONS AT SAID UNDERSIDE OFTHE BASE, THE PORTIONS BETWEEN SAID BACKING MATERIAL CARRYING SECTIONSOF READILY COMPRESSIBLE CELLULAR SPONGE MATERIAL ADHESIVELY SECUREDTHERETO, THE PRONGS AT ONE SIDE OF SAID BASE BEING ANGULARLY BENT WITHTHE TIP ENDS FACING IN ONE DIRECTION AND THE PRONGS AT THE OTHER SIDE OFTHE BASE BEING SIMILARLY BENT AND FACING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAIDSECTIONS OF SPONGE MATERIAL EXTENDING BELOW THE TIPS OF SAID PRONGS.